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Relay hunger strike at MU campus

Students and teachers during the relay hunger strike stage on Monday. (NP)

Correspondent IMPHAL, Jul 9 | Publish Date: 7/10/2018 12:17:26 AM IST

Agitating students, teachers and staff of Manipur University started a relay hunger strike at the gate of the varsity campus here demanding the removal of vice chancellor Prof Adya Prasad Pandey, as the impasse in the university entered its 40th day.

Members of the agitating Manipur University Students’ Union (MUSU), Manipur University Staffs Association (MUSA) and Manipur University Teachers’ Association (MUTA) jointly staged the relay hunger strike inside the university campus starting from 11 a.m.

The relay hunger strike will continue till July 21 as resolved at a joint meeting of the three bodies, MUSU president M Dayaman told reporters at the protest site. He warned that if their demand for removal of the VC was not met by July 21, then they will be compelled to other intensified forms of agitation.

Meanwhile, a press statement was issued yesterday by the office of the Public Relations Officers (PRO) of Manipur University said all forms of agitation within the university campus be stopped as it infringes the code of conduct of the university’s ordinance and asked the protesters to “refrain from unlawful acts”.

The release created ‘controversy’ as the university does not have PRO at the moment and the release was not signed by any individual.

Asserting that there was no PRO in the Manipur University, a joint statement of MUSU, MUTA and MUSA alleged that the statement was issued by VC Prof AP Pandey in the guise of PRO.

MUTA president I Tomba Singh said issuing of press statement under the office of PRO when the University itself has no PRO amounts to “continuation of indulging in false fabrication” by Pandey to “mislead” the public.

On the other hand, an emergency executive meeting of MUTA convened today resolved to expel registrar-in-charge of MU from being a member of the MUTA with immediate effect.

MUTA decided to expel registrar-in-charge prof M Shyamkesho Singh after a threadbare discussion on his anti-university activities and in view of his “dogged refusal to respond to the advice of his parent association (MUTA)”, a statement of the MUTA said.